


Homecoming

by muscatmusic18



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, but still cute and sweet, kinda sad, later in life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2019-05-16 23:51:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14821256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muscatmusic18/pseuds/muscatmusic18
Summary: Snapshot of Peggy and Daniel after a mission later in life.





	Homecoming

**Author's Note:**

  * For [irisdouglasiana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/irisdouglasiana/gifts).



Daniel was waiting for her in her office when she walked in, rubbing the back of her neck in a desperate effort to work out the kinks that came from sitting in a debriefing room for three hours. She closed the door and sighed heavily, finally looking up and seeing him, smiling.

“I’m not used to coming into my office and seeing someone sitting in the Director’s chair.”

Daniel involuntarily smiled when he heard her voice and rose to meet her. “This is the first time we see each other in three weeks and that’s the greeting I get?”

She let out a light laugh, just like she’d done for every instance of his sass for the nineteen years they’d been married, before walking into his open arms and burrowing into his shoulder, letting out another heavy sigh. “No, this is the greeting you get.”

Daniel let her melt in his arms, just glad she came back unscathed this time. “How was the mission?”

She shrugged. “You know most of it from the transcripts. It was relatively clean for a case that took us into the heart of the Soviet Union.”

He tightened his arms around her at the mention of the regime they’d been battling for more years than he’d like to count. “I want to hear it from you. We can’t be a team out there anymore, so I want to make sure you aren’t doing anything too crazy.”

She pulled away from his shoulder and gave him a smirk, tenderly placing her hands on the sides of his neck. “You know fully well that I can’t promise that, my love.”

He just sighed and pressed a kiss to her forehead, right where wrinkles had began to form from all the furrowed brows in her career. “Tell me anyways. Just so I know what to prepare for on your next mission.”

Peggy brushed a knuckle under his chin. “Buy me a drink, darling, and I’m all yours.”

~~~~~~~~~

They were nestled on the couch together, and Peggy had finished her second glass of whiskey by the time she had told her story. Daniel stared off at some imaginary point and shook his head, taking a sip of his own drink.

“I don’t know what we’re going to do about the Red Room. It seems like every time we crush them to the ground, they rise up from another level that we had no idea existed.”

Since the moment they reunited, there had been something in his voice, some inflection that she rarely heard, and it made Peggy turn her head and study his features. Most days, Daniel was good at hiding his frustrations — even from her — but tonight his pain was scrawled all throughout his body language. He was troubled about all the usual things: the mission and the Soviet Union and her, but now there was something else there, something more personal, something deeper that Peggy had only seen a handful of times in all of their years together.

Setting her empty tumbler on the floor, she shifted until she was facing him, still pressed up against his side. She threaded a hand through his hair, gently scratching his scalp and tilting his head back until he finally gazed up at her, and the pain in his eyes tugged at her heart.

“Darling,” she whispered, stroking a hand along his jaw. “What’s wrong?”

He shook his head and looked away. “I just wish I could be out in the field with you.”

“Daniel, your coordination of the missions from headquarters is invaluable to S.H.I.E.L.D, and to me. I wouldn’t have half of the intel I do have if it weren’t for you, and I think I would get hurt a lot more if I didn’t have you in my ear strongly reminding me of the plan.”

That earned a small smile from him, but he still wouldn’t look at her. “I know I do good work at the headquarters, but I can’t help but think of our days at the SSR, when it could be both of us out there. We were a team, side by side until the end, and now that my leg isn’t strong enough to keep up, I feel like I’m not doing my part. I know it’s not true, but sometimes I wonder if I’m good enough for you; like maybe you deserve someone who can go into the thick of it with you.”

There was so much she wanted to say, so many reassurances she wanted to tell him, but instead Peggy stood and walked over to the mantle where a shadow box that their son had made for Daniel sat. Inside there were all of his medals, ribbons, patches, and badges from his wartime service, but as she undid the latch and reached in, she only pulled out two medals: his Purple Heart and his Distinguished Service Cross.

Crossing back over to him, she took the glass out of his hand and set it next to hers before gently sitting on his lap, pinning the Purple Heart to the front of his shirt.

“Do you know what this medal means to me? Not the qualifications for it, but what it means to me as the wife of a recipient?” she asked.

He shook his head, so she continued. “It means that you’re a brave man who served his country, but more than that it means you’re a man who’s come back from the worst. When you’re grievously injured, it’s easy to let that injury define you, but you haven’t done that. This medal means that you’re a man first, not an injury.”

She could feel tears stinging her eyes, but she pushed on, pinning the Distinguished Service Cross next to the Purple Heart. “And this? This means you’re a greater man than most, and it means that you deserve everything good that happens to you and so much more.” She paused, cupping his cheek, “And I’m one of those good things. You deserve me and our family and this job, and anyone who says otherwise will have to go through me.”

He laughed, really laughed, and settled his hands on her waist. “I pity the soul who dares to try.”

“You should. I’ll protect you with every fiber of my being.”

Daniel tightened his arms around her and dropped his head to her shoulder, taking a deep breath. “Thank you, Peg. I needed that.”

“I’ll tell you every day if you need it,” she murmured.

He chucked a bit. “I thought helping each other was supposed to be a two way street, not just you supporting me.”

“Oh, but darling you do.” She pulled his head up and gazed into his eyes. “I never thought I’d love again after Steve, but then you took down all my walls, and instead of leaving me broken you embraced the raw woman behind them. You’ve strengthen me from day one, and now my life is even better than I could’ve imagined.”

Daniel smiled, unbelieving of just how strong their bond had gotten over the years, and of how it continued to get stronger with each passing day. His eyes wet with tears, he pulled her into a kiss, one that was slow, sweet, and unhurried. When they broke apart, he put his forehead on hers.

“I love you so much, Peggy.”

“And I you, Daniel, forever and always.”

**Author's Note:**

> This turned out a little sadder than imagined, but I always miss my grandpa a little bit around Memorial Day.
> 
> Speaking of, I based the shadow box off of one my dad made for said grandpa, he was a Vietnam veteran and a combat medic who received a Purple Heart. We displayed all of his badges, medals and patches in a really beautiful box, just to remind him that his service was greatly appreciated. I thought that was something every veteran should get at some point, so I gave one to Daniel :)
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading!


End file.
